Rescue crews freed a man who was operating an asphalt roller Friday when he became trapped underneath the vehicle while trying to prevent a crash in Monroeville.

Trauma doctors from Forbes Regional Hospital stabilized the 30-year-old man near Saunders Station Road, where he was pinned beneath the machine and a creek bed.

"We knew it was going to take some time to lift the machinery because of the tonnage of the equipment, and we wanted to be able to intervene while he was still under the equipment," said Monroeville Fire Department Lt. Kevin Bacco.

Officials said the man, an employee for Suit-Kote, was driving the roller from one job to the next when a hydraulic hose gave out. He chose to steer the machine into a nearby creek to avoid traffic, but when he did, it flipped and pinned him underneath.

"He was in the prone position, which is face-down, in the creek bed, with his lower extremities trapped under the piece of equipment," said Bacco.

The victim suffered a head injury and blood loss, but he was reported to be responsive as doctors tended to him. His name has not been released.

Suit-Kote and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.